By Seedy Jobe
The speaker of the National Assembly and leader of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction, Fabakary Tombong Jatta,accused the United Democratic Party of targeting members of his party in the aftermath of the country’s 2016 political transition, describing a period of fear and uncertainty for supporters of the former ruling party.
Mr. Jatta, speaking at a nationwide consultation meeting in Sifoe, said that tensions escalated in 2017 as the United Democratic Party consolidated influence following the electoral defeat of former President Yahya Jammeh.
“In 2017, when things got intense, especially with the U.D.P., they were hunting us down like meat,” Mr. Jatta said. “We tried to ensure that our small group was not destroyed because, at that time, everyone was afraid.”
He framed the party’s response as a matter of survival, invoking a Mandinka proverb to underscore what he described as an obligation to rebuild. “If your father dies, that is beyond your control,” he said. “But if your father’s compound is destroyed, then you are not a serious son.” He added, “It was therefore our duty to restore the party.”
Mr. Jatta said that at the time, few expected the APRC to recover from its electoral loss. “Many people believed the party would not rise again,” he said. “Even some of our own allies distanced themselves.”
He argued that the party’s political prospects improved in 2021 after a split between President Adama Barrow and the United Democratic Party, which had been a key ally during the transition.
“We realized then that our main political challenge was not President Barrow, but the U.D.P.,” Mr. Jatta said. “That became clear to us when they parted ways.”
Mr. Jatta also said there had been internal consensus within the APRC leadership, including with Mr. Jammeh, to pursue an agreement with Mr. Barrow. He said the former president had appointed representatives to engage in discussions with the government, though he did not elaborate on why those efforts ultimately faltered.
According to Mr. Jatta, the party’s objective during those talks was to secure conditions that would allow Mr. Jammeh to return to The Gambia under arrangements similar to those granted to Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, the country’s first president, who returned from exile in 2002.
“What we sought was for President Barrow to extend to him the same consideration he once extended to President Jawara,” Mr. Jatta said. “To return in peace, live in peace, and retain dignity. No head of state is without fault.”
The United Democratic Party has not publicly responded to Mr. Jatta’s remarks.
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